Building’s first survey of perceptions about diversity and inclusion across the industry has shown mixed results, with substantial minorities responding with positive views about the state of the sector, but equally large numbers saying the opposite – that construction has a long way to go before it becomes reflective of wider society and makes everyone feel welcome. 

“When looking at some of the results […] it makes you think, ‘wow, it’s shocking that we’re still at that point’,” observes Amanda Clack, head of strategic advisory at property firm CBRE, who launched a book at Mipim last month called Managing Diversity and Inclusion in the Real Estate Sector.

This is Building’s first general diversity survey (conducted by recruitment firm Hays) – broadening out from previous years in which surveys focused on the different experiences of men and women – so we don’t have a full set of comparable data. However, the number of respondents – at more than 1,000 – is significant and the proportion of those that identify as having “protected characteristics” (see top right) is broadly similar to industry averages. 

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